10 – Time Lapse (May
15)
Director: Bradley
King
Writer: Bradley
King, BP Cooper
Actors: Danielle
Panabaker, John Rhys-Davies, Matt O’Leary, George Finn, Amin Joseph, Jason
Spisak
Genre: Sci-Fi
Rated: Unrated
I’m more interested in this film than I should be. It’s not
original, it doesn’t even seem like a new take on something that was once
original.
There’s one tiny fact that leads me to interest.
When I was a little girl, I was just as much a book worm as
I am now, maybe even more-so. Between being bullied at school and my lonely
home-life, I liked the escape of books and movies. I particularly remember
bringing a flashlight to bed so I could read the Goosebumps series (by R.L. Stine) after bedtime. Say Cheese and Die! Was one of my
favorite books of the series. I even enjoyed it when it became an episode in
the TV show (available on Netflix).
Time Lapse looks
like a grown up version of that story. It brings me back to the smell of a new
book hidden under the covers as the spooky shadows enhanced the experience.
I hope the movie will be able to separate itself from the
R.L. Stine version.
9 – Good Kill
(May 15)
Director: Andrew
Niccol
Writer: Andrew
Niccol
Actors: Ethan
Hawke, January Jones, Zoe Kravitz, Jake Abel, Bruce Greenwood
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
I can forgive this film for seeming overly-political because
the trailer looks amazing.
Good Kill looks as
though it will be thrilling and heart-wrenching. Ethan Hawke (Boyhood, Daybreakers, The Purge) appears
to have his part down to a science. It also seems to be a new twist on films
that similarly follow military characters that develop PTSD.
8 – Aloha (May 29)
Director: Cameron
Crowe
Writer: Cameron
Crowe
Actors: Bradley
Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Danny McBride, Alec Baldwin, Jay Baruchel,
John Krasinski, Bill Murray
Genre: Romance
Rated: PG-13
A film starring Bradley Cooper (American Sniper, Silver Linings Playbook, The A-Team), Emma Stone (The Croods, The Amazing Spider Man, Crazy
Stupid Love) and Rachel McAdams (Sherlock
Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Midnight in Paris, The Lucky Ones) that is
directed by Cameron Crowe (Vanilla Sky,
Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous)? What’s not to love?
Cooper and Stone are perfect for comedic parts. I’m thrilled
to see them together in another movie, they worked together once before in The Rocker (2008).
The whole cast seems to be well chosen and the plot seems
interesting enough.
7 – Maggie (May 8)
Director: Henry
Hobson
Writer: John Scott
3
Actors: Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin, Joely Richardson, Denise Williamson, J.D.
Evermore, Aiden Flowers
Genre: Horror
Rated: PG-13
I have to admit, when I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Expendables, The Terminator, Sabotage)
starring in this film, the last thing I expected was zombies. In fact, he’s
only been in one other horror film, End
of Days (1999). Can you blame me for thinking this would likely be our
monthly “old guy in an action flick?”
Not only do we get to see Ahnold in a zombie movie, but it
looks insane. I must not be the only one who thinks it either. It was
originally supposed to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in
2014, but Lionsgate requested the team withdraw it so the company could pick it
up.
I have almost no doubt that this film will live up to
expectations.
6 – San Andreas (May
29)
Director: Brad
Peyton
Writer: Jeremy
Passmore, Andre Fabrizio, Carlton Cuse
Actors: Dwayne
Johnson, Alexandra Daddario, Carla Gugino, Ioan Gruffudd, Colton Haynes, Kylie
Minogue
Genre: Thriller
Rated: PG-13
I had trouble deciding whether I wanted to see San Andreas or Maggie more. It took a lot of thought and I even polled my husband
and some of my friends. In the end, San
Andreas just seems more real.
The name of the film comes from the tectonic fault line that
seismologists believe will eventually cause a catastrophic earthquake
throughout California. So, this film might not be completely scientifically
sound, but there’s enough to really tug at reason. That makes the film so much
more frightening to me.
Add to that people like Dwayne Johnson (Furious 7, Hercules, Pain & Gain) and Alexandra Daddario (Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Texas
Chainsaw 3D, Burying the Ex), and there’s almost an automatic following.
A lot more could go wrong with this film than Maggie, but I think it’s worth it.
5 – Poltergeist (May
22)
Director: Gil
Kenan
Writer: David
Lindsay-Abaire, Steven Spielberg
Actors: Sam
Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Nicholas Braun, Jared Harris
Genre: Horror
Rated: PG-13
The first thing I need to stress is that this film is
labeled as a reboot, not a remake. That means that facts you remember from the
1982 version might be significantly different. Names, facts, and even some of
the plot, may be a little (or drastically) different.
That being said, I must also admit that I’ve never seen the
original.
I intend to, it’s on my list of “movies I should have
already seen.” I’ll be watching the original before the reboot. In the
meantime, the trailer for this film makes me want to watch the original much sooner.
It looks terrifying.
4 – Tomorrowland
(May 22)
Director: Brad
Bird
Writer: Damon
Lindelof, Brad Bird, Jeff Jensen
Actors: George
Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie, Kathryn Hahn, Tim McGraw, Judy Greer,
Chris Bauer, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Rowe
Genre: Sci-Fi
Rated: PG
I’ve been looking forward to Tomorrowland since I saw a 30 second teaser for it several months
ago. All it showed was the girl picking up the pin and being transported to
that field. It was followed by a saying, but I can’t remember what it was.
So, before I had any idea who else was starring in it, or
what it was about, this movie was on my list. Now that I get the general idea
of the plot and I see the participating cast, I only want to see it more.
Not to mention that Brad Bird (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Ratatouille, The Incredibles)
turning down the opportunity to direct Star
Wars: Episode VII in order to direct Tomorrowland.
That says one of two things: this movie will be outstanding, historical and
completely original or Bird needs to be placed a padded room.
3 – Mad Max: Fury
Road (May 15)
Director: George
Miller
Writer: George
Miller, Nick Lathouris, Brendan McCarthy
Actors: Tom
Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough, Rosie
Huntington-Whiteley
Genre: Action
& Adventure
Rated: R
This film represents another black hole in my movie culture
knowledge. I’ve never seen the original trilogy. I’ve already gotten my hands
on them, though, and I’ll be watching them sometime between going to a
weekend-long gathering of my husband’s family and Philadelphia Comic Con.
Even without seeing the other three films, Fury Road looks great. It needs to be said
that this movie is part reboot, part sequel. Instead of doing a complete
reboot, Miller was interested in jumping a little further into the future of
the story, so that’s what he did. It’s kind of a continuation. Kind of.
2 – Pitch Perfect
2 (May 15)
Director: Elizabeth
Banks
Writer: Kay
Cannon, Mickey Rapkin
Actors: Anna
Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Elizabeth Banks, Hailee Steinfeld, Adam DeVine,
Brittany Snow, Skylar Aslin, Katey Sagal, Alexis Knapp, Anna Camp, Ester Dean,
Hana Mae Lee
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG-13
I’d say Pitch Perfect
is a guilty pleasure for me, but it doesn’t make me feel guilty at all.
The first Pitch
Perfect was hilarious and definitely entertaining. Anna Kendrick (Into the Woods, The Last Five Years, Life
After Beth), as I’ve said before, is a goddess. I can’t wait to see how
Elizabeth Banks (The Lego Movie, The
Hunger Games, Zach and Miri Make a Porno) did with directing her first
full-length film. Katey Sagal (Sons of
Anarchy, Futurama, Married With Children) is even playing the mother of one
of the Bellas.
To be honest, I even enjoy the music.
There’s nothing about Pitch
Perfect 2 that I’m not looking forward to.
1 – Avengers: Age
of Ultron (May 1)
Director: Joss
Whedon
Writer: Joss
Whedon, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Actors: Robert
Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson,
Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie
Smulders, James Spader, Thomas Kretschmann, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Josh
Brolin, Anthony Mackie, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgard, Stan Lee, Josh Brolin,
Hayley Atwell
Genre: Action
& Adventure
Rated: PG-13
If I have to explain to you why this movie is #1, you
obviously didn’t see the first one and you’ve got some work to do.
